Fifth section of I-69 nearly complete, final construction to begin in March

In 2013, the Indiana Department of Transportation cleared out land on the other side of a fence where they planned to expand I-69. Construction on the sixth and final section of the interstate will begin in March.
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The fifth section of Interstate 69 construction is nearly complete.

Scott Manning, an Indiana Department of Transportation spokesperson, confirmed the stretch, which runs from south of Bloomington to Indian Creek in Morgan County, should be finished in the coming weeks.

Construction on the sixth and final section of the interstate will begin in March.

This section of the project is projected to take about five years to complete, Manning said. The construction will be similar to the work on section five.

Section six connects Martinsville, Indiana to the south side of Indianapolis.

The construction beginning this year includes off-line work, which focuses on the local roads to move traffic. Design work for pieces of section six will occur as well, Manning said.

Mainline interstate work is set to begin in 2020, according to Manning. Mainline work is construction on the interstate itself, including travel lanes, on and off ramps and highway overpasses.

Remaining work on section five includes sign installation and overall finishing touches, Manning said. He said traffic disruptions at this point are minimal.

“I’m excited for it to be be finished,” freshman Claudia Gehan said. “I’ve been wishing it would wrap up soon.”

The completion of section five will help ease traffic and make commutes faster, according to Manning.

“Benefits will be improvement to traffic flow and a significant improvement to long-term safety of motorists,” he said.

Manning said I-69 construction will be fully completed by 2024.

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